All  

Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ Mobile

horses

Representational image of jousting horses. Source: Public domain

Jousting Horses Ridden by English Knights Came from Mainland Europe

Jousting was a popular sport among elites in medieval England, as anyone who has ever read a book or watched a movie about English knights in the Middle Ages is well aware. Jousters wore thick armor...
AI image of Scythian Nimrod the King of kings on a white warhorse, shooting an arrow. Source: John/Adobe Stock

Horse Lords: A Brief History of the Scythians (Video)

The Scythians , a confederation of nomadic tribes , flourished across the Eurasian steppe from around 900 BC to 200 BC. Initially discovered by Russian explorers venturing into the remote landscapes...
Centauromachy - Battle of Lapiths and Centaurs by Luca Giordano, The Hermitage. Source: Public Domain

Centauromachy - the Fabled Clash Between Lapiths and Centaurs

Centauromachy is a unique and captivating tale woven into the complex tapestry of Ancient Greek mythology. It stands as a timeless narrative packed with themes of conflict, ancient civilizations, and...
The horse bridle was made up of both a bit and leather straps which were once fastened to the horse’s head, which makes it possible to date it. Source: Espen Finstad / Secrets of The Ice / Innlandet County Municipality

Ancient Horse Bridle Emerges from Melting Ice Along Viking Trade Route

A rare Viking Age artifact has melted from its icy-mountain tomb after 1,200 years. Discovered at 2,000 meters above sea level, this timeworn horse bridle whispers of ancient high-altitude traders...
Tibetan horse saddle. Metropolitan Museum of Art / Public Domain.

How This Ornate Saddle Reflects Traditional Tibetan Culture (Video)

This intricate saddle serves as a remarkable embodiment of traditional Tibetan culture , transcending the Western stereotype of Tibet as solely defined by Buddhism . Rooted in a rich historical...
Medieval soldier eating. Source: master1305 / Adobe Stock.

How Do You Feed a Massive Medieval Army and Their Horses? (Video)

In the historical context of medieval logistics, the efficient supply of food to armies was a remarkable feat. Soldiers required substantial sustenance, and this extended to both humans and their...
Csikós Hungarian horsemen. Source: Kavita / Adobe Stock.

These Hungarian Horsemen Predated the American Cowboy (Video)

Before the iconic cowboys of the Wild West captured imaginations, Hungary's Csikós, the horsemen of the Puszta in Hungary's Great Plain, had already established their profound connection with the...
Illustration of one the graves with Viking and horse, by Mirosław Kuźma. Source: Leszek Gardeła/The Conversation

Shared Horse and Human Burials Show Vikings’ Bond With Their Animal Companions

Keith Ruiter & Harriet Evans Tang / The Conversation Is your pet part of the family? That’s nothing new. Archaeological evidence exists to suggest that the Vikings held their own animals in high...
Samurai warrior ready for battle. Source: DigitalGenetics / Adobe Stock.

What a Samurai vs. Mongol Battle Really Looked Like (Video)

The clash between the Mongols and Samurai took place between two legendary classes of warriors. Contrary to popular belief, Samurai did not engage in single combat dueling against the Mongols...
The new study shows how horses were domesticated by the Native Americans before the Europeans came. Source: André Ulysses De Salis

Study Upends European Narrative of Horse Domestication in the USA

Horses and the American West – not just a recipe for the classic Western films of 20th century Hollywood, but a long and storied association. Now a study has revealed this extends further back into...
Discovered in Malomirovo, Bulgaria, the skeleton of a horse rider displays the typical burial custom of the Yamnaya  Source: Michał Podsiadło/Science Advances

Earliest Evidence Of Horse Riding Found in 5,000-year-old Skeletons

Unique skeletal signatures identified on 5,000 years old bodies from modern Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria, provide the earliest evidence of horse riding ever discovered. A team of researchers has...
Chariot race in Rome's Circus Maximus, as if seen from the starting gate. The Palatine Hill and Imperial palace are to the left, by Jean Léon Gérôme (1876) (Public Domain)

The Life Of A Celebrity Roman Chariot Horse

“The horses burst through the sky and with swift-hooved feet cut a dash through the clouds, which blocked their way as borne on wings they passed the east wind .” (Ovid, Metamorphoses II.157–60) The...
Horse armor owned by Anna Jagellonica of Poland. Previous owners: Johan III of Sweden, Sigismund III of Sweden-Poland, Sigismund II August of Poland. Made of driven sheet steel with etched and enameled decoration on the outside. A total of eight parts. At Sweden’s State History Museum Source: Livrustkammaren (The Royal Armoury) / CC BY-SA

16 Striking Pieces of Horse Armor That Protected Them in Battle

The trusty steed was not just the loyal companion of knights and cavaliers, but invaluable to the war arsenal of many armies across the globe, as well as those in jousting tournaments. Such valuable...
Pegasus of Greek mythology is depicted as a majestic, white, winged-horse. Source: Viks_jin / Adobe Stock

Pegasus of Greek Mythology: Majestic Winged Horse of Mount Olympus

Pegasus is the majestic flying horse of Greek mythology , best known for its association with the heroes Perseus and Bellerophon. Traditionally depicted as a pure white horse with wings, the Pegasus...
Valley of the Tower of Tombs, ruins of ancient Palmyra in Syrian desert   Source: Monik-a / Adobe Stock

Piecing Together the Lost Mitanni Empire

The Mitanni Empire was established in 1475 BC and was disestablished in 1260 BC. It was one of the biggest and most powerful nations of its time, and its influence spread far and wide. Yet you’ve...
If your star sign is Sagittarius then your “animal” form is that of a centaur. Sagittarius, the centaur archer, is the sixth sign of the Zodiac. Source: Daniel Eskridge / Adobe Stock

Centaurs in Greek Mythology: From the Iliad to Sagittarius and Harry Potter

Greek mythology is full of interesting magical creatures. From the sirens and their alluring voices to the one-eyed cyclops, these creatures have captured the imaginations of people worldwide from...
Top: Sumerian chariots drawn by hybrid animals known as kungas, illustrated on the Standard of Ur (© Thierry Grange) Bottom left: Hybrid animals known as ‘kungas’ found at Umm el-Marra site, Syria (Glenn Schwartz/John Hopkins University). Bottom right: South of Gobekli Tepe, Turkry, D enclosure T pillars. (Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Berlin).		Source: CNRS

Earliest-known Human Engineered Hybrid Animals Identified in Mesopotamia

A super-powerful animal known as the ‘kunga’ was the first-known human-engineered hybrid of two animal species, reports a new study published in Science Advances . The researchers conducted a genome-...
The medieval horse it turns out, based on a recent research study, was a lot smaller than we thought!		Source: Snowshill / Adobe Stock

Medieval Horses in England Were Shockingly Small, Research Reveals

Medieval battle scenes in movies or television shows usually feature heavily armed warriors mounted on huge horses, thundering across the plains to attack their cowering and quivering enemies. While...
The remains of the headless horse found in an elite Merovingian grave in Knittlingen, Germany.		Source: Folke Damminger / Baden-Wuerttemberg State Office for Monument Preservation in the Stuttgart Government Presidium

Headless Horse Unearthed in an Elite Merovingian Cemetery in Germany

An elite Merovingian cemetery in Germany has yielded a wide range of warrior weapons and luxury jewelry. But what is getting all the attention in the media is the headless horse that was discovered...
The Andronovo were skilled horse breeders. Source: Arthorse / Adobe Stock.

Who Were The Andronovo? Bronze Age Culture Of The Eurasian Steppe

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that our earliest origins lie somewhere far away from our current homeland. When Europeans are considered, modern history and science tell us that our languages and...
The Fall of Phaeton by Peter Paul Rubens (1604) National Gallery of Art (Public Domain)

Hippoi Athanatoi: Immortal Horses of the Gods And Heroes

The gods of Olympus often procreated semi-divine children with morals, but not all of their offspring were human. Especially Poseidon, god of sea and horses, sired a lineage of immortal divine...
Russia Wants to Clone Ancient Scythian Warriors

Russia Wants to Clone Ancient Scythian Warriors

Russia's Defense Minister has announced his plan for the DNA cloning of ancient Siberian warriors and their horses. The ancient Tunnug burial site, located in the Valley of the Kings in the Republic...
The Female Siberian Ice Maiden Whose Legends Lives On

The Female Siberian Ice Maiden Whose Legend Lives On

Buried in permafrost soil around the 5th century AD, a 35-year-old woman was discovered in the Republic of Altai, Russia. Finding the woman helped archaeologists develop deeper understanding of the...
The ceremonial chariot discovered near Pompeii. Source: Pompeii Archaeological Park

Pompeii: First Ever Roman Ceremonial Chariot Discovered in Italy!

Archaeologists excavating the ruins of a settlement north of Pompeii have discovered an exceptional ceremonial chariot that is almost intact. The ancient carriage is made from iron, bronze and tin...

Pages